Key facts
- Tigrayan forces seized three local airports and launched attacks in Afar and Amhara regions.
- Renewed war in Tigray could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region.
- Residents in Mekelle and Adigrat reported panic-buying, food and medicine shortages, and fear of siege conditions.
- Tigrayan forces are reportedly recruiting young people by force.
- The TPLF stated it acted in self-defense against government aggression using ground troops, warplanes, drones, and artillery.
- A government official stated the TPLF carried out a premeditated assault on civilian infrastructure by seizing airports.
- The EU called for immediate de-escalation and dialogue, noting military actions by both sides.
Residents in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region are stocking up on food, cash, and basic necessities, fearing that renewed fighting could trigger another major war. Tigrayan forces seized three local airports and launched attacks in Afar and Amhara regions this week, in the most serious escalation since a devastating 2020-22 war against Ethiopian government troops.
The United Nations and the European Union have called for restraint and a return to the African Union-brokered peace process. Addis Ababa has accused the region's rulers, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), of launching a major offensive, while TPLF leaders stated they had entered a "defensive" war to counter aggression by the federal government, which they claimed used drones, artillery, and ground forces against them.
Renewed war in Tigray could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region, which is already unsettled by deteriorating ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Sudan's civil war, frictions over Red Sea access, and spillover from Middle East conflicts. Residents in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, reported hoarding food and withdrawing cash, fearing a repeat of the siege conditions experienced during the previous war. A resident of Adigrat, near the Eritrean border, described panic-buying and empty shelves, with essential medicines scarce and expensive.
Both residents mentioned witnessing young people being forced to join the war effort. During the 2020-22 war, Tigray was largely cut off from the outside world, leading to famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands of people. Power outages were reported in Lalibela, a town in the Amhara region. The TPLF has stated it acted in self-defense against what it called "full-scale aggression" by the government. A government official told Reuters that the TPLF carried out a premeditated assault on civilian infrastructure by seizing airports but stressed that dialogue remained open for groups that laid down arms. The EU called for immediate de-escalation, noting military actions by both sides.